I Can't Help But Notice
by justimpolite
Summary: Chloe loves learning new things. So when she discovers a list of signs indicating sexual attraction, she doesn't hesitate to try and apply them to the people around her. What she discovers, however, may just turn her experiment on its head.
1. Chapter 1

**I own neither Beca, nor Chloe, nor the Pitch Perfect universe. Shame, really.**

* * *

Chloe loves learning new things. There's something so exciting and satisfying about having new information fill your mind, there's so much that can be done with it!

So when she's sat in her Psychology class on a Wednesday afternoon and her teacher mentions they'll be learning about human attraction, she quickly sits up in her seat, readies her pen, and focuses all of her attention on the board. Because, without sounding too immodest, she's young, she's attractive, and this could prove to be very useful.

* * *

Chloe leaves the class an hour and a half later with a distinct spring in her step. In her notebook is a list of the most common signs that people display when in the presence of a person they are attracted to. She's decided she's going to conduct an experiment of sorts. She's not necessarily going to run around with a little bow and arrow and cupid wings, but she's certainly more than interested in finding out who has the hots for who around here.

A massive grin is etched onto her face as she makes her way to the Bella's practice, excited at testing out this new information, when she bumps into a much taller body.

"Hey, Chloe!"

It's Tom, Chloe's 'sorta ex.' They used to be 'friends with benefits', as much as she hates the phrase, but they'd ended it a while ago. Tom has shown quite a bit of interest in continuing their arrangement, but Chloe's heart wasn't really in it. And that was the problem. Chloe was tired of spending her nights watching crappy rom coms and eating ice cream out of the tub. Not that she totally hated doing that, but she just wanted someone to do it with her. Someone that wasn't Aubrey, that is. She wanted someone who she could cuddle up with when it was raining, or when she was sad, and someone who would like her for all of her weird little quirks. Someone who wouldn't mind that she only wears odd socks, and that she can't start her day without her favourite sweetened coffee.

Her attention is turned back to the boy in front of her, when she realises he's waiting for her to respond.

"Oh, hi Tom. I'm kind of in a rush actually. You know how it is with the Bellas and everything." She smiles and makes a move to brush past him.

"Okay, no worries, maybe I'll catch you later?"

"Sure." She smiles and gives him a small wave before rushing off in order to make it to practice in time. Aubrey may be her best friend, but that's no excuse for tardiness. So with a small sigh, she picks up her pace and rushes off to meet the other Bellas.

* * *

She's sitting in her allocated chair, attempting to listen to Aubrey's long-winded action plan for their next performance while all the other girls appear to be mirroring her lack of interest. She feels a little bad for Aubrey sometimes, but that girl can talk for hours.

So instead, she opens her notebook, occasionally nodding at the older girl's speech when it seems appropriate, and goes over her list from Psych class. She glances around the room and decides it's time to put her plan into action.

Person A may look in Person B's direction a lot. If caught mid-action, then Person A will most likely turn away quickly in embarrassment.

Now, Chloe is aware that the Bellas may consist entirely of girls, but that doesn't mean she's going to rule out any chance of romance in this room. And to be honest, everybody has their suspicions about Stacie and Cynthia Rose. So she decides that they shall act as her guinea pigs.

She shifts her seat a little from her place on the second row, so as to ensure a better view of the two girls at the front. To her delight, she notices the two shooting several short glances at one another throughout the space of the next fifteen minutes, and by the time Aubrey is wrapping up her marathon of a speech she has made a tally of fourteen looks directed towards one another.

Chloe makes a small squeal of approval, and snaps her notebook shut, very pleased with her findings. And to think, today is only the first day of her experiment! She is totally going to ace her class.

A huge grin is etched onto her face as she looks around the room, searching for the time on the large clock that hangs on the wall. And that's when it happens.

Dark smoky eyes meet hers, and there's a split second of connection, before the other girl snaps her head away, cheeks hastily reddening.

Chloe just caught Beca Mitchell staring at her.

She gapes in surprise at the sudden turn in events, unsure of how to react.

Beca was definitely looking at her, and she was definitely embarrassed to have been caught doing so. But that doesn't mean anything, right? Maybe she was just wondering what Chloe was doing that had her acting so giddy. But Beca hadn't looked curious; she'd looked rather, well, content. Chloe had noticed a small smile gracing the other girl's lips before she had widened her eyes in panic and turned away.

Was it possible? Could Beca...like her?

She was pulled back to reality by the sound of chairs scraping around her. Aubrey had dismissed the group, and Beca had shot out of her seat and all but sprinted out of the room before Chloe even had time to acknowledge her surroundings.

"Chlo, you okay?" Aubrey had walked over to her, looking slightly confused at the redhead, who was still rooted to her chair, mouth parted in shock. She quickly shook herself out of her reverie and jumped up next to Aubrey.

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm fine, totally. I mean I'm totally fine. I mean-" Aubrey raised a hand and cut her off mid-ramble.

"You know what, it's fine, forget I said anything." The blonde linked arms with her and ushered her out of the room. "There was no way Beca was listening to anything I said today. She just sat there, ear monstrosities in full view, rolling her eyes every few minutes and chewing on her pen. So rude."

And just like that, Chloe's thoughts were returned to Beca. The corner of her mouth turned upwards in to as small smirk, eyes glinting with excitement.

She believes she may just have found a new guinea pig. And if she's being honest with herself, she likes the prospect of the end results a whole lot more this time round.

.

**I'm thinking that this will probably only be a few chapters long, and I don't know how often I'll be able to update it, but I will try my best! Also, if anyone could suggest any other signs of attraction I could use, that would be great!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I'm so overwhelmed by the response to this story! I'm so grateful and I will do my best to update as often as I can. That being said, I would really really love if maybe a few more of you could leave some reviews, just so I know that you're liking the story, and if not, how I can make it better. I hope this chapter is what you were all hoping for! Thanks again!**

* * *

Chloe considers herself to be open to love. The world is filled with so many labels; so many people trying to define one another out of fear, concern, pressure. She doesn't see why love can't simply been seen as love, regardless of the form it takes. One of the things she was so delighted about when moving to Barden was how accepting everyone seemed to be about this sort of thing. Nobody cared what other people did in their free time, how they spent their days, or who they loved, and for this she was very grateful.

So, whilst Chloe may have only ever dated guys, she certainly wasn't opposed to having a relationship with a girl, nor was she unaccustomed to the occasional heated kiss with someone of the same sex, thanks to the countless college parties she had attended.

So this is why she found herself hanging upside down from her bed, humming along to the stereo, and thinking about Beca Mitchell.

She had definitely been staring at Chloe, that was for sure. But did that mean Beca was attracted to her? If that was the case, Chloe had to admit that she was certainly interested. She had always felt a certain pull towards the shorter girl. Beca projected the image of a girl completely unphased by her surroundings, but Chloe liked to think she knew her better than that. She knew that Beca secretly enjoyed being in the Bellas, and that she cared about them all more than she was willing to admit.

So, what if Beca did have feelings for her?

Should Chloe respond to this? Should she go about finding a way to prove this? Perhaps she should just grab Beca one day after rehearsals and demand the truth? No, that wouldn't work, Beca would totally flip and probably avoid her forever.

That's when she remembers the list. Beca has already alluded to possessing one of the signs, should Chloe attempt to see if the same could be said for the others? And what if it turned out that she did? What would happen then?

Maybe then Beca would end up being her girlfriend.

The smile that breaks out onto Chloe's face at this thought is enough to persuade her. She leaps from the bed, grabs her notebook from her bag, and starts going over her plan.

* * *

_2. Person A may often initiate unexpected physical contact_

Chloe had been hesitant to try this one out, as she knew that if there was one thing Beca wasn't, it was affectionate. Despite this, she headed to rehearsals, head held high, determined to continue her experiment. She had tried to come up with a cool name for it, but after scribbling out 'Operation get Beca to make out with me' and 'Mission: Impossible (that Beca doesn't like me)' she had given up and just decided to leave it unnamed.

She practically skips through the door, greeting the other girls with a cheery wave, before starting her warm up and (not so subtly) shooting glances at the entrance, waiting for her subject to show.

Beca drags herself through the door, hands shoved deep into her pockets, exactly 7 minutes and 49 seconds later (not that Chloe was counting). She sends a small smile in Chloe's direction, before unzipping her jacket and beginning her own warm up routine. Aubrey jogs over to the front and claps her hands, demanding everybody's attention.

"Alright girls, now that everyone has arrived we can continue with the proceedings. I'd like to thank those of you who _did_ show up on time."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I noticed that the bench outside had just been painted, and wondered whether it would be more fun ensuring that it dried appropriately within the next few hours."

"Hilarious, Beca."

Beca shrugged. "I just like to be there for the benches."

"Moving swiftly on, I have decided that the most efficient way of learning to the new choreography will be to separate you all into pairs. Chloe and I will demonstrate, and then you will spend the next hour perfecting each move, am I understood?"

"Aye aye, cap'n Aubrey."

"Thank you for your unwavering support, Fat Amy."

Chloe hopped up from her seat and joined her best friend. The two demonstrated the choreography perfectly, and Aubrey dismissed the others to go ahead and work on it together.

"Oh, Chloe, you can work with Beca. I don't trust her not to sabotage the whole setlist." Aubrey had her arms folded across her chest, glare set sternly upon Beca, who was still slumped against the wall looking wholly disinterested. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You're going to have to get over this feud eventually, you know?"

"Yes, but I am delaying it for as long as I can. " With that she turned on the spot and went to rummage around in her bag, muttering about short girls and sarcasm.

Chloe made her way towards and Beca, nudging her with her shoulder.

"Hey you, Aubrey says we have to work on the dance together, and I don't think you want to cross her today."

"You completely underestimate my need to irritate Aubrey, Miss Beale."

Chloe snorted, shaking her and grabbing Beca's wrist. She dragged her from her place against the wall and gave her head an affectionate tap.

"Shut up and dance with me."

The two worked through the choreography for the next 20 minutes, Beca gradually becoming more and more frustrated with a couple of the more complex moves.

"This is stupid. Aubrey deliberately picked moves that she knew I wouldn't be able to do." She said with a huff.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Beca. You'll get it soon enough, you're nearly there! Look, like this." Chloe demonstrated the move once again to the other girl. Beca's eyes seemed to roam up and down the redhead's body, one, two, three times, before hastily looking away.

"Will you show me?"

"I just did?" Chloe cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Beca's cheeks seemed to redden slightly and Chloe resisted the urge to smile.

"I mean...like this." Beca reached forwards and took Chloe's hands in her own. Soft hands, Chloe registered, before realising that Beca had placed them on her waist, looking up at the taller girl from beneath her eyelashes.

"Oh, right. I mean, sure! I think we may need to be a little closer though." Chloe gently guided their bodies closer together, and let out a small sigh at the feeling of having Beca so close to her. "Just move your body like this. That's right, you're getting it!" Their bodies moved together and Chloe could swear that this might just be one of the greatest moments of her life. She knew that was ridiculous but to be perfectly honest, with Beca's face this close to her own, she didn't give a damn.

The rhythm of the two girls slowed to a halt, and they stood there, swaying gently and just looking at one another. Chloe decided to trust her instincts, and shifted her left hand, interlocking their fingers together. She could feel the cool touch of Beca's ring, and the brief tightening of her hold as their fingers brushed together. Beca raised her hand hesitantly, stopping halfway, before continuing and bringing it to her face to brush away a loose strand of Chloe's hair. She tucked it behind her ear, and held it there for a moment, small smile still in place, before realising what she had done, and quickly dropping her hand ungracefully to her side, where it hung awkwardly. Chloe opened her mouth to respond, and assure Beca that she wasn't bothered by her actions, before a shrill whistle cut her off.

"Okay, aca-bitches, I think that's enough of crushing my hopes and dreams for one day. You're all dismissed. That means leave, please." Aubrey pointed to the door with a look challenging anyone who disputed her.

"I'll see you later, Chlo." Beca said, hiking her bag on to her bag before following the others out of the room.

Once she was out of a sight, Chloe grinned and rushed over to her bag. She pulled out her list and scored a line through number two. This experiment was proving to be _very_ educational.


	3. Chapter 3

**_So yes, I'm a terrible person and I'm really really sorry for the delay with this chapter, but I kind of lost interest in it a bit, and college is starting to get hectic so I haven't had as much chance to write lately. But here's the next chapter, so hopefully it's not too much of a disappointment, and I'm so grateful for all the response I've gotten for this story so far. I think it will probably only have one or two more chapters to go, but we'll see, and again, I can't promise a quick update, sorry guys!_**

* * *

_Person A may try to get Person B's attention for unimportant/trivial things in order to have an excuse to be closer to them._

It was a Saturday, and Chloe was spread out on her bed, feet in the air and chewing on the tip of her pen as she looked over her term paper. She had spent all morning getting her work done, and she was about two more minutes away from jumping for joy at finally getting it finished. Not that she had any plans for the rest of the weekend, she was just glad to be able to relax without feeling the guilt of undone and overdue college work.

She was just attempting to force all of said work into her bag when her phone began to ring. She skipped across her room (something Aubrey had told her to stop doing; especially after the last incident, resulting in several stitches and a new lampshade) before grabbing her phone from the bedside table and pressing 'answer.'

"Hello!" She answered in a sing-song voice. She really did love Saturdays.

"Well, someone certainly sounds chipper."

"Beca, hi!" In her good mood, Chloe hadn't bothered to check the caller ID, assuming that it was probably just Aubrey calling to ask her to meet her in the library. But she couldn't contain the massive grin that found its way onto her face, or ignore the way she practically started to bounce with excitement when she realised the true identity of the caller. "What can I do for you today?"

"Oh, right, yes. I was just wondering if Bellas practice is still happening on Monday, actually."

"Yes, it is." Chloe said, attempting to stifle a giggle. "You should know that, Aubrey drilled it into all of us yesterday."

"You should know by now that I do my very best to pay as little attention to Aubrey as possible."

"She's not that bad."

"Yes, and neither was Medusa." Chloe rolled her eyes. "I can hear you rolling your eyes from all the way over here."

"No you can't, that's not possible. Now was that all you wanted?" She was met with a few seconds of silence, before the voice on the other end of the line picked up again.

"Uh, no, actually. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab some lunch? I know you've been working on that paper all morning. But if you haven't finished then it totally doesn't matter, I probably have some new mixes to work on, or whatever-" Chloe interrupted the other girl's babbling.

"Beca, that sounds awesome. Do you want to swing by and pick me up in five?"

"Your wish is my command."

.

When Chloe answers the door, roughly four minutes and twenty seven seconds later, she's met by the shorter brunette, complete with mock salute and wink.

"Your carriage awaits, m'lady," she said, offering her arm with a smirk.

"You're really outdoing yourself today, Beca."

"What can I say? My charming personality is simply irresistible," Beca said, though her smirk was quickly replaced with a frown when Chloe patted her on the head and cooed.

"Whatever you say, Mitchell. Now, where are you taking me?"

.

Within ten minutes they were seated opposite one another at a local cafe that Beca had fallen in love with after stumbling upon it within her first month at Barden. Chloe smiled over the rim of her mug as she watched Beca tapping her fingers along with the rhythm coming from the old radio in the corner of the room; her movements never missing a beat against the tabletop.

"You never stop, do you?"

"Stop what?" Beca asked, brow furrowed slightly, though her fingers didn't cease their rhythm.

"I don't know, music. Loving music, thinking music." She motioned to the other girl's hand, "making music."

"Oh." Beca's hand did stop now, her cheeks colouring slightly, having been unaware of her actions. "It's a big part of me, I guess."

"Well, I like it. It's very you."

Beca just smiled in response, picking at her sandwich. Chloe decided it was time to dig a little.

"So, Beca, a 'devastatingly charming' girl such as yourself," she said, exaggerating air quotes with her fingers, "must get a lot of attention from people."

"How do you mean?" Beca asked with a head tilt.

"I mean, you must get asked out a lot by guys."

"Uh, I guess? I mean, I think most people are wary of coming near after people in my classes have witnessed me in the morning without my coffee, but I get some interest."

"Oh, really? Like who?"

"Well a couple of guys from the radio station asked me out, but I wasn't really interested."

_Score one for Chloe._

"Oh, and Caroline from my philosophy class."

_Sco- wait, what?_

"Caroline? As in a girl, Caroline?"

"Uh, yeah... I mean, I don't like her in that way, so I said no, but I've dated girls in the past. That's cool with you, right?"

Chloe quickly removed the look of confusion from her face when she realised it was causing Beca some concern.

"Yeah, of course! Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I was just surprised. I've had a few experiences with a couple of girls in the past, so we're totally equal," she said with a wink.

Beca laughed. "You're impossible, Chloe Beale."

.

Chloe agreed to let Beca pay for their lunch ("it was my idea, after all.") and the two made their way back to campus. Their hands brushed together several times on the way, and Chloe, encouraged by the recent eye opener into Beca's sexuality, entwined their fingers together. The other girls glanced at their joined hands, before smiling at the ground, and tightening her grip.

They reached Chloe's room, and Beca leant against the door frame while Chloe rummaged around in her bag in search of the key. She eventually found it and pulled it out with a victory cry (and an adorable little dance.) Chloe smiled, glad that she had managed to make Beca smile at her antics.

"So, I had a nice time today." Chloe said, her hand returning to Beca's side in order to play with her fingers.

"Yeah, me too. I'd come in and annoy you all afternoon as well, but unfortunately I have a paper due on Monday that I haven't even started." God, Chloe loved Beca's smirk.

"Don't worry about it, I wouldn't have invited you in anyway. I don't put out on the first date."

"This was a date?" Beca asked, eyes widening comically.

"Jeez, calm down, Becs, I'm only messing." Chloe laughed, pleased with Beca's reaction.

"Right, of course," Beca said, disappointment flashing across her face, though it was gone with the next few seconds, replaced with a small smile. "Anyway, I'll see you around, Red."

She turned to go, and Chloe watched her make her way down the hall before calling after her.

"Hey, Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time you don't have to make up some lame excuse to ask me out. I'll say yes, for future reference." One last wink was directed towards the shorter girl, and there was a flash of red hair before Chloe was in her room, the door closing shut behind her, leaving a gaping Beca in her wake.


End file.
